Content about Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

HOUSTON The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now is recommending that everybody older than 6 months of age get vaccinated for the flu, as the flu has begun appearing in various states and last year’s H1N1 flu is expected to appear again.

In response, RediClinic is offering two options for vaccination: the traditional injectable vaccine and a nasal spray version.

WASHINGTON A new survey released this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics found that obesity and diabetes rates are at peak levels since the data collection for such conditions began more than 10 years ago.

IRVING, Texas —Kimberly Clark is betting hygiene-conscious consumers are ready for single-use bathroom hand towels. The company has introduced Kleenex hand towels, disposable bathroom hand towels in a pop-up dispenser delivery system. The dispenser can be set upright on the bathroom vanity or hung upside on the towel rack.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for hand-washing recommend drying with a single-use towel—and Kimberly Clark’s sheets, which are free of inks, dyes and fragrance, are a first-of-their-kind solution.

BARRINGTON, Ill. —Merix Pharmaceutical unveiled its new Fast-Results! genital herpes treatment March 1. The only over-the-counter treatment for genital herpes, Fast-Results! answers an unmet need of people who suffer painful symptoms associated with genital herpes outbreaks, and it can be used in conjunction with a prescription therapy for genital herpes.

ATLANTA The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still is recommending people who have not yet gotten their H1N1 flu shots that they do so. H1N1 vaccine is widely available, CDC officials noted.

In a conference call with reporters on Monday, the CDC that H1N1 has “not gone away,” with regional activity still being reported throughout the southeast, most notably in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. Hospitalizations attributed to H1N1 have been on the rise for three consecutive weeks.

By all accounts, it’s been a very busy first half of the season for cough-cold manufacturers, even though the 52-week comparable period is only showing a 1.9% lift in overall sales across food, drug and mass (minus Walmart) for the period ended Jan. 24, according to Information Resources Inc. data. For the 2009-2010 season, the weekly percentage of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness peaked at the end of October 2009 at 7.7%, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. That peak was higher than the three previous influenza seasons as reported by the U.S.

WASHINGTON The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Arthritis Foundation in early February announced a major initiative to dramatically reduce the impact of osteoarthritis on Americans. In conjunction with the announcement, the Arthritis Foundation and the Ad Council are unveiling a national public awareness campaign in response to the recommendations outlined in the action plan, "A National Public Health Agenda for Osteoarthritis."

NEW YORK There still is widespread concern over the safety and efficacy of the new H1N1 influenza vaccine, despite public assurances from executives at the highest levels of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — the point agency around the H1N1 pandemic — that the H1N1 vaccines have been subject to the same safety and efficacy protocols as seasonal vaccine, which generally is considered both safe and effective.

NEW YORK Images of “Sesame Street’s” Count tabulating H1N1 flu cases aside, this really emphasizes how serious the government is in attempting to mitigate the spread of H1N1 through more traditional mediums, such as people’s laptops and their television sets.

First, kids spread colds and flu. With the rhinovirus (common cold), school children typically get between five to six colds each year; their parents two to three. So it makes sense to target and educate children and their parents around sound prevention techniques.